The Importance of Style and Fashion

I think fashion is important to us because it's a means of self-expression--it enables us to say something important to the world about who we are, or who we'd like to be. The clothes we wear say things about us (intentional or not), even to people we don't talk with directly. It addresses the fundamental human need to belong, to identify ourselves
with a group of others like us--whether it's a lifestyle, a religion, a profession, or an attitude.

We also use fashion as a sort of protection, or armor. We have power suits, favorite black pants, a special shirt--something that flatters or boosts our confidence or makes us feel powerful or safe.

As far as preferring name brands or not, I like both. What matters most is the comfort (physical and psychological) of the clothes. When I find a name brand I like, I look for other things from that same line, because they're likely to have something in common--the fit, the fabric, the style, the attitude.